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Script 1x19- Dream On
VOICEOVER: So, here’s what you missed last week. Puck had to shave his mohawk and people started picking on him so he started dating Mercedes to seem cool again cause she was on the Cheerios. But, then she quit. (Cut to MERCEDES in SUE SYLVESTER’S Office) MERCEDES: It’s just not who I am. VOICEOVER: Finn’s mom, Carole‘s, dating Kurt’s dad, Burt which was totally Kurt’s idea but then Kurt got mad that Burt and Finn started hanging out. (Cut to KURT talking to BURT in the auditorium) KURT: I miss you Dad. VOICEOVER: Rachel hurt her voice and couldn’t sing and she kind of thought that was the only thing that was important. (Cut to RACHEL talking to FINN in the hallway) RACHEL: I need applause to live. VOICEOVER: But then Finn introduced her to a friend who showed her that there’s a lot worse things to lose than your voice. (Cut to RACHEL and FINN at SEAN’S house) SEAN: I compensate with humor. VOICEOVER: And that’s what you missed on Glee. (Enter WILL into FIGGINS’ Office) WILL: Hey, you wanted to see me? FIGGINS: William, there’s someone I’d like to introduce you to. He’s the newest member of our school board. And he’d like to speak to you. Will Schuester, meet Mr. Bryan Ryan. BRYAN RYAN: We’ve met. WILL: (voiceover) Bryan Ryan. We went to school together, and he made my life a living hell. He was two years older. Dated every girl I liked. Got every solo. (Cut to the past; BRYAN RYAN singing “Daydream Believer” in the choir room) BRYAN: What’s the matter, Schuester, cat got your talent? WILL: (forced chuckle) (Cut back to present in Figgins’ office) BRYAN: I’m here to do an audit of our curriculum, Will. We may need to cut some of our district’s art programs. FIGGINS: It’s really just a formality, William. BRYAN: No, it’s not. We’ll probably cut the glee club. WILL: What?! But-but you were in the glee club. Show choir was your life. BRYAN: It was, Will. And after I graduated, I hit the big time. I was a featured soloist at King’s Island in The Dooble-Dee-Doo Musical Revue. We were a smash. Then for three years, I did the cruise ship circuit. But when that dried up, I realized I had been sold a bill of goods. Nine years later, I woke up on a urine-stained mattress in the West Lima crack district. Then…something amazing happened. I was introduced to Jesus. He was my Honduran social worker. I straightened up, put down the pipe, met the love of my life, Wilma, and now I run a successful used Hummer dealership. Don’t make that face. Global warming’s a theory. (Exhales) And four nights a week, I run a show choir conversion group. (Cut to show choir conversion group) BRENDA: Hi, I’m Brenda. And it’s been 42 days since I sang a show tune. GROUP: Hi, Brenda. BRENDA: Years ago when I auditioned to play Miss Adelaide in Guys and Dolls, I was asked to take my top off. Evidently, that is not… customary. And… that’s when I started huffing glue. RUSSELL: My name is Russell; I’m a glee club survivor. Whenever anything bad would happen, I would just say, “Let’s put on a show.” Well, guess what? “Puttin’ on a show!” about your father’s prostate cancer (voice cracking) will actually just make him more depressed about the situation. BRYAN: Show choir kills. (Cut back to BRYAN, WILL and FIGGINS in Figgins’ office) BRYAN: I just want to have a talk with your kids. Make sure you’re not building up their hopes just to have them knocked down. WILL: What if I say no? FIGGINS: Just let him speak to the kids, William. Let Mr. Bryan Ryan contribute to the marketplace of ideas. What’s the worst that can happen? (Cut to WILL, BRYAN and the rest of the glee cub in the choir room) WILL: Okay, guys, listen up. This is Mr. Ryan. He’s a member of the school board, and he would like to say a few words. I-I just want you guys to listen critically and know that what he’s saying is just one of many opinions. BRYAN: Take out a piece of paper. And on that paper, I want you to write down your biggest dream. A dream that means so much, you’re afraid to admit it even to yourself. (RACHEL writes down “Huge Star,” PUCK writes down “3some,” QUINN writes down “No Stretch Marks”; BRYAN goes over and crumples up ARTIE’S paper) BRYAN: Your dream is never going to happen. Ninety one percent of you will spend your entire lives living in Allen County, Ohio. So unless you wrote down that your dream was to “work for a mid-market health insurance provider” or “find an entry level job in an elderly care facility,” you’re going to be very disappointed. MERCEDES: This is really depressing. BRYAN: I’m going to guess that a lot of your dreams involve “showbiz.” Well, let me tell you. Showbiz dreams are the most unrealistic of them all. TINA: But… that’s what I want to do with my life. BRYAN: Oh, look, I’m not trying to hurt your feelings, I’m just trying to spare you disappointment. WILL: I think we get your point. BRYAN: Aw, well, Schuester here’s a prime example. He used to have that glimmer of hope in his eyes that I can see right now in all of yours. But he couldn’t make it happen for himself, so he now has to try and convince you all that it will happen for you. Guess what? His dream didn’t work out. And neither will yours. TINA: (sobbing) WILL: Okay, you’re done here. BRYAN: You would be wise to show me some respect. WILL: You’ve said your piece. Now get out. BRYAN: Well, Schuester, I should thank you. You’ve made my decision about which program to cut a lot easier. (Cut to TINA and ARTIE in the library; TINA helps ARTIE get a book from a high shelf) ARTIE: Thanks. TINA: Godard on Godard? ARTIE: He was the master of the French New Wave. I was figuring that since I’m never going to become a star as a performer, maybe I could become one behind the camera. Did you know Christopher Reeve directed a movie after his accident? In the Gloaming. TINA: Didn’t see it. ARTIE: Oh, me neither. Too depressing. TINA: Is that what you wrote as your dream? ARTIE: Before Bryan Ryan crumpled it up and tossed it in the trash? Yes. TINA: Why are you lying to me? (Cut to TINA in the choir room alone; she picks up ARTIE’S crumpled paper and reads it; it says “Dancer”) TINA: (voiceover) After everybody left, I went back for my book bag and something stopped me. (Cut back to TINA and ARTIE in the library) ARTIE: That was supposed to be private. TINA: I don’t understand you. You’re always talking about wanting to get with me, but you won’t be honest with me about your hopes and dreams. ARTIE: I’m in a wheelchair, but I’m still a guy. What’s the difference? I’m never gonna actually become a dancer. My legs are never going to work again. It was stupid. TINA: I was thinking—Mr. Shue is so busy dealing with Bryan Ryan that he didn’t give us an assignment for the week. So, why don’t we do one on our own. A dance number. ARTIE: You wanna dance with me? TINA: You were pretty hot in “Proud Mary.” Why don’t we try and kick it up a few notches. (ARTIE nods and they smile at each other; Cut to RACHEL in the dance studio; Enter JESSE) JESSE: Hi. RACHEL: Hi. How was your spring break? JESSE: Good. It’s good to be back. What were you just rehearsing? RACHEL:A guy came to Glee Club to talk to us about dreams. Luckily, I’ve known mine since I was four. I’m going to play three parts on Broadway—Evita, Funny Girl and Laurey in Oklahoma. I was just practicing her dream ballet with Curly. It’s what I do when I’m feeling a little stressed. JESSE: That’s not a dream. A dream is something that fills up the emptiness inside. The one thing that you know if it came true, all the hurt would go away. You singing, “Don’t Cry For Me Argentina,” in front of a sold-out crowd, isn’t a fantasy. It’s an inevitability. (They hug) RACHEL: I thought you’d never come back. JESSE: And miss all your drama? Never. (Cut to RACHEL and JESSE walking in the hall) JESSE: So what is it, your dream? RACHEL: I don’t know. JESSE: Well, then go inside, find it and ask it what it’s gonna take. RACHEL: Why are you pushing this? JESSE: Because you’re my girlfriend, and I want to know all your secrets. When you lie awake at night, what’s missing? RACHEL: My mom. JESSE: Your mom? You mean like you want to meet her? RACHEL: I just would like to know who she is. I don’t really need to meet her or anything, but maybe just find out her name or…something about her. JESSE: Hmm. RACHEL: It’s silly. It’s not like it’s goinna happen or anything. JESSE: Why? RACHEL: Well, just because my dad never told me anything, and I didn’t want to ask them anything ‘cause I didn’t want to hurt their feelings. JESSE: So let’s check it out without them knowing. Do you know why I came back to school here? To win another national title and make all your dreams come true. If this is one of them, then I’m not going to stop until it happens. (Cut to TINA and ARTIE practicing a dance routine in the choir room; ARTIE turns off the music) ARTIE: My tap wheels suck. TINA: I thought we sounded pretty good. ARTIE: Yeah, you did. I sound like someone put tap shoes on a horse and then shot it. Will you bring me those? I borrowed them from John Hubner. TINA: The kid with cerebral palsy? ARTIE: They’re his extra pair. Help me get up on them. TINA: Have you ever used anything like these before? ARTIE: No, but I have superhuman upper body strength from using my wheelchair. If I can just get up, I think I can use my arms to get around the room. Come on. You said we were going to kick it up a notch. Dreams aren’t supposed to be easy. (TINA helps him up) ARTIE: I’m gonna try and take a step. TINA: Artie, you’re doing it. (ARTIE falls and lands on his face) TINA: Are you okay? ARTIE: Go. TINA: Let me bring your chair over. ARTIE: Just go…away. You shouldn’t have done this to me. You pushed me to do this. TINA: I’m sorry. ARTIE: Just go away, please. Go away. (TINA pushes his chair over anyway; Cut to BRYAN in the home ec classroom; Enter WILL) WILL: Hey, Bryan. BRYAN: Hello, Will. Just taking stock of the home ec supplies. You see, our home ec program teaches practical skills like food service preparation. Can’t feed a child sheet music, Will. I mean, I suppose you could for a while, but…they’d be dead in a month. WILL: I’d like to buy you a beer. No, no. I want to convince you that you’re wrong. BRYAN: You won’t. WILL: Then… for old times’ sake? (Cut to JESSE in the library; Enter RACHEL) RACHEL: I found her. JESSE: Your mother? Where? RACHEL: In the library. I’ve been researching her all morning, and as I suspected, my intuition has been proven correct. My mother is Broadway legend Patti Lupone. (Cut to RACHEL walking around the library and looking at slides) RACHEL: (voiceover) I’ve always had a deep connection to Ms. Lupone—her choice of roles and songs. I decided to do a little math to see if her being my mother was even possible. I was born December 18, 1994.1994 was a big year for Mother. She was a sensation in Pal Joey. But that was in New York; I was born in Ohio, you say. Well, Mother took many breaks from the show to tour with Mandy Patinkin. That April found them at the EJ Thomas Hall in Akron, Ohio, for a standing room performance—nine months before I was born. JESSE: Are you saying that your fathers impregnated Patti LuPone in the Marriott in Akron? Was Mandy Patinkin in on this? RACHEL: All you have to do is look at pictures of her in her performance in Master Class in 1996. Look at the pain in her eyes and the hurt she’s feeling from giving up her obviously talented little girl. JESSE: One question: What was in it for her? RACHEL: M-Money, a sense of charity for those in need? (JESSE gives her an incredulous look) Guess you’re right. Do you want to hear my research that proves that my mother is Bernadette Peters? JESSE: Why are you so afraid about finding the truth? RACHEL: I don’t know, I guess I just don’t want to think that my mother is some teenage trollop like Quinn, or worse, some skanky girl who would do anything for money, including giving me up. JESSE: Why does it have to be one of those choices? Maybe she had a really good reason for doing what she did. We need to do a real investigation. Like, CSI real. Do you have any baby stuff in your house, something that might give us a clue? RACHEL: My fathers kept every piece of paper related to my life in files and cabinets in our basement. It’s sort of a little Rachel Berry museum. JESSE: Perfect. We’ll start there. (Cut to WILL and BRYAN at a bar) WILL: You were a big deal at McKinley. You had all the moves…You were one of those dudes where all the guys wanted to be you and all the girls wanted you. BRYAN: Not all of them. WILL: Really? All right, wh-who was the one that got away? BRYAN: Terri Delmonico. You remember her? WILL: (coughing) Yeah. Yeah, she was, she was cool. BRYAN: Oh… WILL: I married her. BRYAN: No way. WILL: Yeah. It didn’t really work out though. BRYAN: Wow. I’m sorry to hear that. WILL: She was great. I-I really loved her, and, you know, just…just grew apart. Do you know what gave me the strength to…finally get out of a terrible marriage? Music. Meeting those kids. Coaching Glee Club. No, you’re right. I-I’m…I’m never going to be on Broadway. And maybe the same is going to go for most of those kids. But that’s not the point. Glee Club—it’s not just about expressing yourself to everyone else. It’s about expressing yourself to yourself. BRYAN: I’m living a lie. WILL: What? BRYAN: (sniffles) I miss it so much! I am miserable. Ever since I stopped performing, I cannot stand my life! Three times a year, I tell my wife I’m going off to a business trip, I sneak out to New York, I see a bunch of Broadway shows. I have a box of Playbills hidden away in my basement, Will. Like porn. (sobs) What are you doing? (WILL starts the jukebox and “Piano Man” by Billy Joel starts playing) WILL: You remember? Sectionals, 1992. You sang this song alone on stage, just you and a piano. I mean, I… I know this isn’t quite as theatrical, but you’re gonna sing it again right now. BRYAN: I can’t. WILL: Yes, you can. (WILL starts singing “Piano Man”; BRYAN joins in theatrically and it‘s awesome) WILL: Whatever happened to you in the past, it’s over. You’ve gotta give it another shot. Lima Theatre Guild is doing a production of Les Miz. Auditions are Friday, and both of us are trying out. All right? (BRYAN hugs him) Oh, oh, okay. (Cut to ARTIE and TINA walking by the buses) TINA: Hey. Sorry about yesterday. ARTIE: No, I’m sorry. I do a pretty good job of being in denial about the hopelessness of my condition. I think I just kind of freaked out when I actually had to face it. TINA: Who says it’s hopeless? ARTIE: Like, every doctor I’ve ever seen. TINA: Maybe they’re the wrong doctors. I went online and did some research about the new treatments on spinal cord injuries. Did you know that some doctors are implanting electrical stimulators in patients’ bodies to recover hand movements? ARTIE: My hands work. TINA: They’re just starting to develop the technology. But in a year, five years, who knows? And some scientists at UC San Diego were actually able to regenerate a rat’s damaged spinal cord. There are hundreds of studies going on right now using stem cells. I guess I just wanted to tell you not to give up on your dream. If you can imagine it, it can come true. (They kiss and it‘s actually really cute; Cut to JESSE and RACHEL in Rachel’s room; RACHEL comes in carrying a huge box) JESSE: What took you so long? Your dads will be home soon. RACHEL: There was so much stuff in the basement, it’s like a shrine. It’s creepy and flattering at the same time. But these boxes had the earliest dates on them, so…(gasps) My baby teeth. JESSE: (holding up a sonogram) Look. RACHEL: Is that me? JESSE: Looks like you. I think you’re in fifth position. RACHEL: Makes sense. My dad says they used to play Vivaldi into my mother’s belly. Put that there. (gasps) My first singing competition. I came in first place. JESSE: You were eight months old. RACHEL: I was very musically verbal. Cute little baby shoes. JESSE: (pulls a tape out of his pocket and pretends to find it in the box) What’s this? “From Mother to Daughter.” RACHEL: Oh, my God, she wrote this. She held this in her hand. Wh-What are you doing? JESSE: Playing the tape. RACHEL: No! JESSE: Why not? She wanted you to hear this. RACHEL: I-I’m not ready. Look, this is all happening too fast. What if she’s singing on the tape? What if she’s terrible? Or worse, what if she’s better than me? JESSE: I can’t believe we’re so close to your dream coming true, and you’re running away from it. RACHEL: No. It’s, it’s my choice. It’s… it’s my life, and…No, I’m-I’m not ready. Jesse, I think that you should go. (Exit JESSE; Cut to an auditorium where WILL is warming up; Enter BRYAN) WILL: Hey, buddy. Glad you showed up. BRYAN: Please don’t distract me. I’m trying out for the role of Jean Valjean. WILL: So am I. BRYAN: Really? What song do you plan on singing? WILL: I was going to sing “The Impossible Dream.” BRYAN: Wow, really? Interesting. So am I. WILL: But then, I decided on Aerosmith’s “Dream On.” BRYAN: Yeah, me, too. That’s what I’m gonna sing. WILL: Are you kidding me right now… CASTING DIRECTOR (DUNCAN): Is there a problem out here? WILL: Yeah, there’s a problem; this guy just stole my song! BRYAN: Uh, I don’t know this man. His caretaker just stepped away. I overheard her mention he’s a sex offender. WILL: Oh, you’re gonna need a caretaker in a second, buddy. DUNCAN: I run a dry cleaner. I can only keep it closed for 30 minutes at a time. BRYAN: Thank you. DUNCAN: Sing it as a duet. (WILL and BRYAN sing “Dream On” by Aerosmith as a competitive mind-blowing duet. It is totally awesome) DUNCAN: Thank you. We’ll let you know. (Cut to TINA and ARTIE in the mall) ARTIE: I can’t believe I just bought tap shoes. TINA: Think of them as an investment in your future. Do you want a pretzel? ARTIE: Hell, yes, woman. TINA: They’re upstairs. Do you mind waiting down here while I go get them? ARTIE: As long as you’re buying. (TINA kisses his cheek and turns to walk away) ARTIE: Wait. I need to tell you something. I went to the doctor yesterday, and he started me on all of the therapies that you researched for me. TINA: Really? ARTIE: Guess what? They’re working. (ARTIE puts his feet down and stands up holding her hands) TINA: Oh, my God. Artie, you can walk! ARTIE: I’ve spent so many years dreaming about what I’d do if I could get up out of the chair. And now that I can, all I want to do is…dance. (ARTIE starts dancing and singing to “Safety Dance” by Men At Work; Members of the Glee Club are seen dancing as well but it took this viewer ten viewings to realize Heather wasn’t the only one dancing; Oh and the song ends and turns out it was just a daydream) TINA: (returning with pretzels) You okay? ARTIE: I’m gonna dance one day, you know. TINA: I know you are. (Cut to SUE and BRYAN in Sue’s office) SUE: I thought you were gonna take a hatchet to that Glee Club. BRYAN: I was, but you may have heard, I plan on making my return to the stage next month in a local production of Les Miz, and I’ve had something of a personal awakening. So I’ve decided to examine all of the extracurricular activities here at this school, and Sue, your Cheerios budget is out of control. SUE: Let me remind you of something, Mr. Ryan. The Cheerios sell tickets. BRYAN: Not enough to offset your costs. SUE: I am very tired of athletics always taking a back seat. When daily P.E. was cut at this school, no one batted an eye. But cut a dance program, cancel the school musical, and suddenly there’s an uproar. BRYAN: I did a little research, Sue. Did you know that studies have shown that reading Shakespeare might help kids learn physics? That singing helps you learn pitch, which makes learning a foreign language easier? That when a kid picks up a clarinet or a trumpet, every region of the cerebral cortex is stimulated? SUE: Well, that’s all very interesting, but did you know that a third of American teenagers are obese, and only 2% of high schools require any form of daily physical activity? Where is your outrage about that, Mr. Ryan? Sports teach kids how to work together, teaches problem solving and social skills, it improves attendance, not to mention grades, particularly among those students deemed most “at risk.” BRYAN: You’ve done your homework. SUE: I’m an educator. Now, I realize my methods are unconventional, but my record speaks for itself. Is it a tad over the top to bill the district for skydiving lessons to have the Cheerios parachuted onto the football field? Perhaps. But what I do here makes a difference. BRYAN: Sue, you’re an impressive woman. I can’t tell you how much you turn me on right now, You ever heard of the term “anger sex”? SUE: It’s the only kind I know, Bryan. BRYAN: I should tell you I’m married. SUE: Not a problem for me. BRYAN: And I’m still cutting half your budget. SUE: Hey you win some, you lose some. BRYAN: Should I lock the door? SUE: No. Got a secret room upstairs. Like Letterman. (Cut to SHELBY CORCORAN in her car; Enter JESSE; It’s pouring rain) JESSE: She has the tape. She won’t listen to it. SHELBY: What? She has to listen to it. That’s the point of all this. JESSE: I’m doing my best! Look, when you told me to seduce her… SHELBY: “Befriend” her was the word I used, actually. JESSE: Whatever. The thing is, I was into it because I thought it would be a good acting exercise, but now I think I kind of like her. I don’t want her to get hurt. SHELBY: Look, one more week, this will all be done; you can come back to Vocal Adrenaline where you belong. JESSE: I don’t understand why you don’t just go up to her and say, “Hi, my name’s Shelby. I’m your mom.” SHELBY: I signed a contract. I can’t contact her until she’s 18. She has to come to me. That’s why she has to listen to the tape. Once she hears it, she won’t be able to sleep until she finds me. I answered an ad in the paper. Nine months work here would make me enough money to live in New York for two years. Her dads seemed like nice guys, so I went for it. I never got to hold her. And I only saw her for a second when they were cleaning her off. It was through a bunch of nurses, but she turned her little head, and she looked at me. I’ve failed as an actress. My walls are lined with trophies instead of wedding pictures, but through all of that…I only have one regret. You get her to listen to that tape. (Exit JESSE; Cut to EMMA and ARTIE in Emma’s office) EMMA: You know, honestly, the only students that come and see me on a scheduled weekly basis are ones that have been diagnosed with psychological disorders, like a certain junior female that eats her own hair. ARTIE: Well, when I start walking, I’m gonna need help emotionally adapting to my drastically altered lifestyle. EMMA: Walking? ARTIE: There are all these new therapies for my condition. I figure if I try them all, one’s bound to work. EMMA: Um…you know, Artie, I have, um…you know, I’ve read your file before. Um… the damage to your spinal cord’s pretty severe. Irreversible. I think you know that. ARTIE: I used to know that until I saw the research. EMMA: Do you know how long the testing process takes for medical protocols like this? At least ten years, and-and that’s before they even start human trials. So, you know, these…these studies really aren’t even in their infancies yet. Look, I-I truly believe that there’s gonna be a doctor that finds a cure for what happened to you, but I…you know, I don’t think that’s gonna be for… a long time. You know what? Um…maybe you’re right. Maybe you should start coming to see me once a week for a while. ARTIE: Thanks, Ms. Pillsbury. (Exit ARTIE) EMMA: Don’t forget your, um, papers. (He doesn’t stop to get them; Cut to WILL, BRYAN and the rest of the glee club in the choir room; BRYAN is opening a box) BRYAN: Guys, I’ve got good news. I siphoned off funds from the Cheerios and I took a little shopping spree through the Jazzhands catalogue. You know why? ‘Cause the arts matter. And I got custom-made New Directions jean jackets and some rad tearaway dancewear. Hello. And every piece of sheet music from every Broadway show for the last 50 years. Everything a show choir needs to become champions. WILL: Wow, that’s just amazing. Let’s all give a hand for Mr. Ryan. BRYAN: Thank you. Thank you. (Enter SUE) SUE: Congratulations, Will. I’m over the moon for you. WILL: Thanks, Sue. I’m glad you have a good attitude about your budget being cut. SUE: No, no, I’m not talking about that. I came over here to congratulate you on your new role. Local director, Herb Duncan, does the dry cleaning for the Cheerios and he let it slip that you just landed the lead in Les Miz! Congratulations. Oh, I’m ecstatic. And the good news just keeps coming, ‘cause you got a part, too, Bry. The exciting role of Townsperson. And you got a line, too. Way back here in the second act, you get to say…”Hooray.” Congratulations, both of you, really. I can’t wait for opening night. (Exit SUE; BRYAN is clearly upset by this news) WILL: Wait, Bryan. BRYAN: Congratulations, Will. You’re going to be great in the show. WILL: Can we talk about this? BRYAN: Nothing to talk about. I’m cutting the program. (Exit BRYAN; Cut to BRYAN practicing in an auditorium; Enter WILL) BRYAN: Hooray! Hooray… WILL: Hey, Bryan. Can I talk to you for a second? BRYAN: Make it quick. I’m rehearsing. You know, reviewing my single line. WILL: I want to take one last shot at convincing you not to cut the program. BRYAN: Give it a rest, Will. You think you’re helping these kids, when all you’re doing is setting them up to be jaded and bitter. WILL: You’re right. Cut the program, and they’re certainly more likely to turn out like you. BRYAN: I’ve grown weary of your insults, Will. They sting, and they make me want to punch your face. WILL: (sighing and picking up a WMHS yearbook) You remember high school? Remember what it’s like? Those kids get labeled the second they walk through the door freshman year. Geek, punk, jock, queer. I’ve seen who these kids in Glee Club really are. No labels, no preconceptions, their true spirits. Yes, most of them are not stars…but they shine like them. Do you know what happens when a star dies, Bryan? It doesn’t just disappear. It turns into this black hole, this giant energy-sucking mass that doesn’t just collapse in on itself; it takes away any light that comes close down with it. You take away Glee, you’re not just putting out those kids’ lights; you’re creating 13 black holes. (sighs) I want you to take my part. You should play Jean Valjean. I want you to understand how important the arts are for a person’s soul. You’re a black hole right now. Maybe this will help you remember what it’s like to be a star. BRYAN: So, what you’re saying is, you’ll give me the part if I don’t cut the program. WILL: Exactly. BRYAN: Cool. Deal. (runs over to DUNCAN) Oh, hey, sir. Hi. I’m your new lead, and, uh, I’d just like to set up some ground rules off the bat. First of all, I have a lot of ideas. And, uh, next, I don’t really take direction. (Cut to RACHEL and JESSE in Rachel’s room) RACHEL: Jesse, what are you doing here? JESSE: I said that I was gonna help you make your dreams come true. RACHEL: No. I’m not ready. JESSE: Yes, you are. (JESSE kisses her and puts in the tape; Exit JESSE; “I Dreamed a Dream from Les Miz starts playing) SHELBY: (on tape) Hi, baby. It’s your mom. I think this pretty much says it all. (SHELBY starts singing “I Dreamed A Dream”; RACHEL joins in and it cuts to the both of them singing together in the auditorium; They sing it beautifully together) (Cut to ARTIE and TINA in the hallway) TINA: (kneeling) Artie, please, think about this. ARTIE: I have. You’ve worked too hard on this routine to have half a partner. Fact is, any of the guys in there could dance my part better than me without even rehearsing. Well, except Finn. TINA: But I want to dance with you. ARTIE: I can’t dance, and I never will. But… that’s okay. I’m never going to dunk a basketball or kill a lion, either. I have to focus on dreams that I can make come true. I’m good, Tina. Really. TINA: (standing) Will you at least sing the song? ARTIE: Sure. (Cut to WILL and the rest of the glee club in the choir room) WLL: All right, guys, listen up. Tina has something that she wants to share with all of us, but first, I have an announcement to make. You’ve all been reprieved. Bryan Ryan isn’t cutting Glee. (Everyone claps) PUCK: Did he die? WILL: No. He didn’t die. He, uh, is going to be distracted for a couple months making his star turn in Les Miz. He got the lead role. QUINN: But I thought you got the lead. WILL: I resigned. It was the price for keeping the club. FINN: Sorry you had to do that, Mr. Shue. WILL: I’m not. You know, th-the way I see it, I’m trading my one dream for the chance that all 13 of you might find yours. I mean, come on— you can’t argue with those numbers. So, let’s start with Tina’s dream. Come on up, Tina. (TINA comes up and high fives WILL because that’s how they do it in glee club) WILL: I understand that you whipped up a little dance number for us— a breakout that we might use at Regionals. TINA: Yes. WILL: You got a dance partner? TINA: Mike Chang. MATT: Yeah! BRITTANY: Whoo! SANTANA (or some other female voice but it‘s Santana in my head): Yeah Chang! (Cut to the auditorium with the entire glee club on stage; ARTIE starts singing “Dream A Little Dream of Me”; MIKE and TINA dance like badasses) THE END